"Tell me again why I'm here?" Milah requested as Neal led her into Emma's house. "Cause I really have no idea."

"Well, would you rather be back in jail?" Rumple asked dryly. "Cause we can arrange that quite easily, and since I'm not allowed to kill you, that's probably what will happen."

"No, it won't," Neal shook his head. "No one is going to jail. The point of bringing you here, Mother, is to discuss what will happen with you now that Zelena is gone."

"You mean I'm not going to be put in the lamp?" Milah asked in amazement. "I thought I would be."

"Well, if you wanna be, that's where we'll put you, but we didn't really think you'd like that."

"What are my other options besides being put in the lamp or being killed?" Milah asked. "Jail?"

"Yes," Neal nodded. "It surprises me that you seem so fixated on that."

"You can't blame me," Milah told him. "That's where I thought I was gonna go and what other options are there?"

"You could go somewhere else," Emma pointed out. "There are so many places to see. Surely you have more in mind for yourself than staying in some small town and terrorizing your ex-husband."

"Yeah," Neal agreed. "You've had your fun and put him through enough. Now it's time for you to move on and find new purpose."

To his surprise, his mother gave him a glance and then reached out and took his hand. "Are you going to stick around here?" She asked.

"He can't," Emma told her. "His job takes him everywhere. He can't stay in one place for too long because magic artifacts are always being taken into the wrong hands."

"Oh," Milah nodded. "All right. Cause I was thinking, (and if you say 'No', I'll understand), I was thinking that if you weren't busy, you could help me move somewhere and then come visit me from time to time?"

Rumple scoffed at this. "Good luck," he said. "Don't listen to her. She just wants you near her so she can turn you against me further."

"Oh, please," Milah told him. "He doesn't need me to do that for him. You're seeming pretty unlikable yourself at the moment."

"Okay, okay!" Neal cried. "Both of you just shut up and let me decide who I want to be with for myself, all right?"

"All right," Milah nodded. "Sorry."

"Sorry, son," Rumple said and looked appropriately ashamed while thinking about how badly he wanted to be away from Milah and back with Belle.

"All right," Neal nodded. "Now that we've all agreed to be civil, Mother, I would love to come and visit you, on the condition that talking about Papa is off limits unless it's something nice."

"Okay," Milah nodded. "I can do that."

"And the same applies to you, Papa," Neal told Rumple. "No talking about Mother unless it's something nice."

"That shouldn't be a problem," Rumple assured him. "I've got better things in my life to talk about now than her."

"Well, good," Neal smiled. "There you go."

"Speaking of going," Emma said as she and Neal got to their feet and Milah rose too, "where would you like us to take you?"

"You're sweet, but you don't have to take me anywhere," Milah told her and produced a bean from a from the small leather bag she had fastened around her waist. "I have a friend who lives in another land and I'm going to visit them. They're very powerful, and I'm sure they'll find some way for us to communicate." She gave Neal a brief and awkward hug and then looked at Rumple. "I-I hope you have all that you want in life," she got out. "And I'm sorry for what Zelena and I did."

"Thank you," Rumple nodded. "I hope you find what it is you're looking for too."

"See now, was that so hard?" Neal asked before he and Emma took Milah out to the front of the house so she could throw the bean and be on her way.

It took them longer than expected to come back inside and when they returned, Rumple was on his feet with cane in hand, preparing to go out and look for them. "There you are," he said with a smile when he saw them. "What kept you? Were you planning on leaving with your mother, Neal?"

"No," Neal shook his head. "I was just telling both her and Emma that I've decided to take some time off from my job. I work with a few other people and they've all been begging me to take a vacation, so I'm gonna stick around a while and spend time with you, and Emma, and Henry. Maybe even think of doing something else with myself that lets me put down roots. I think I'd like that."

"Yes," Rumple nodded. "I would too." He got up and went to grab his coat. "And on that delightful note, I think I need to be on my way. I promised Belle I would return home as soon as Milah was dealt with and that I wouldn't dawdle. She was very insistent about that. Why that is, I have no idea."

"There you go being sarcastic," Neal smiled. "You want me to take you home, or do you think you can get there on your own?"

"Wait a minute!" Regina called. "I know I promised I'd stay away from all this business cause it's not my affair, but Rumple, you can't leave yet."

"Why not?" Rumple asked.

"Well, don't you want your magic back?" Regina wanted to know. "I mean, I can keep it and it wouldn't hurt me any, but…"

"Yes," Rumple nodded. "Give it to me. I've not had it for so long that I very nearly forgot about it."

"Okay," Regina took Rumple's hands. "Everyone cover yourselves. This might end up being a little…explosive." And indeed, the magic exchange led to a loud boom! And the house shaking a bit.

"Is it over?" Emma asked afterwards from the spot where she and Neal had situated themselves under the dining room table with Neal shielding her head in case anything fell on top of it.

"Yeah, it's over," Regina confirmed. "You can come out now."

At the same time, Henry ran down the stairs, looking alarmed. "What was that?" He cried. "Is everyone okay?"

"Yes, everyone is all right, Henry," Rumple assured him. "Your mother was just giving me my magic back before I returned to Belle."

"Good," Henry smiled. "Everything is back to normal now."

"Yes," Rumple smiled. "I believe it is. Or at least no worse than it was before things changed. Goodbye everyone, and…thank you, Regina." He left the house then, and zapped himself to Belle's apartment.

"Oh, my god!" Belle cried when she opened the door to his knock and threw herself in his arms. "I'm so glad you're back. I was beginning to worry! You didn't do anything bad to Milah, did you?"

"No," Rumple promised, zapping himself into a more casual outfit. "You and my son, two of the people in the world who are most dear to me, asked me not to, so I kept my peace."

"Good," Belle nodded. "Thank you. And now that we've got that out of the way and you're back…did you say you wanted to talk about our new house?"

"Yes," Rumple nodded. "Something much bigger. Unless you want to be in this tiny little apartment for the rest of your life."

"No," Belle shook her head. "I need room for our bed. And you. And my books and knickknacks. That's very important."

"Oh, of course," Rumple nodded and went to stroke some of the little Dresden shepherdess figurines that he'd given Belle at the start of this whole mess. "I remember that you like these. I think I might build you an entire room for your little collection of figurines."

"Oh, thanks, but…I don't need that many," Belle replied, blushing a little.

"It doesn't matter if you need them," he told her. "They're something you clearly love and treasure, aren't they?"

"Yes," Belle admitted and came to pick one up. "I do love them. Very much." She paused. "All right. I guess I could have a roomful. If it's not too much trouble."

"Oh, no, it isn't," Rumple grinned and zapped the room full of the little figurines. "One figurine for every book. That's fair, don't you think?"

"Yes," Belle chuckled and looked around the full room in awe as he put his arms around her. "But it definitely means we'll need a bigger house." She looked him over. He was wearing jeans and his white shirt. "And while we're talking about changes, can I expect to see this look more often, even though things seem to be back to normal?"

"Yes, I think you can," Rumple assured her and kissed her hair. "Not all the time mind you. Not when I have to be seen in public. But as long as it's just you and me, I don't think it would hurt."

"All right, then," Belle smiled. "Welcome home, Rumple. At least until we get a bigger house that is."

"Thank you, Belle," he told her with a smile. "Thank you very much."

The End